Strip Malls and Dollar Bills

For my Master's Degree, I created a series of digital illustrations to explore wealth disparity and income inequality. I created these in a devocationalized, studio manner, as my research revolved around questioning how to engage all of my digital art students (I teach public, inner-city high school) rather than how to engage just those who are career bound.

This is the third of my artworks: how the current economic status of the country is impacting my state. I live in Tampa, Florida. Our housing market is spiking insane amounts – my rent in my last apartment went from $1200 a month to $2050 a month this year, and I could not renew my lease. My jaw literally dropped when I received my renewal letter. Recently, while visiting some friends in Sarasota (a very wealthy city about an hour south of Tampa), I noticed all the new construction on St. Armand's Circle, where modest Floridian houses were being torn down to construct multimillion dollar mansions. Manufactured palms and rooftop pools exist symbiotically alongside classical sculptures of David, venuses, and more.

Sometimes, it feels like politicians have abandoned the middle class. No matter which party they are, and no matter what their past careers were, I sense a lack of relation and empathy from them to the modest, blue-collar worker; perhaps, even to the lower-earning white-collar worker. As Biden's campaign touted student loan forgiveness (even minimal compared to other politicians and Democrats), I have yet to see anything. I hold on to faith, but it is hard to come by at times.

Cut from this illustration is a Trump-Nirvana moment where an infant swims towards a dollar bill on his fishing line.